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I just moved to NYC with my loving, beautiful and funny cat IN the past, I used to leave him with my roommate whenever I had to travel.. I live by myself now in the city and just learned I have to travel but cant take him with me.. I dont know many people in Manhattan who can take care of him for 5 days, not sure how to do this? Any suggestions?

Thank you very much ad happy holidays!

If you can't find anyone you trust, see if you can hire a pet siting service. If not, leave him enough food for days, enough litter LOTS of water and a shirt with your scent on it.

I will go against the grain and say that DH and I would never leave our cats unattended for more than 24 hours. We feed wet food (and one of our cats is on several medications), making it impossible to go away for days.

A number of years ago, I petsit for a co-worker's cats. Within 24 hours of them leaving town, one of the cats developed a nasty eye infection. I took the cat to their vets and had him treated (the co-worker paid via the phone). You just never know what could happen.

If you are new in town, ask your vet or co-workers who they use for their pets. Sometimes, vets have techs or employees who sit on the side.

If I had to leave my cat I wouldn't do it for more than 3 days either - I'd not want to go that long, 2 would be my limit but I'm on the cautious side. I'd hire a sitting service too, I'd consider boarding as a very last resort. I'd consider things like ratings, ask for vet referrals, insurance and if the service is bonded. You want to be careful with both your fur friend and your home.

I was caught out of town overnight due to a medical emergency when I was new to the area and new to my job. I had no one to care for my fur friends so it was a real wake up call for me. I quickly found a roommate who adored cats and liked my dog. I also sought out colleagues who would be willing to care for them in my absence (my supervisor! and when she went out of town I cared for her crew, including a tortoise! what?! LOL)

There have been earlier threads on this popular topic should the OP wish to do a search. My earlier comments still are valid, and have worked out fine. An alternative to either leaving a cat alone, or finding a person to come in, is to board your pet at a local vet or pet clinic. Preferred is one that is cat exclusive. A web search or a few phone calls should find what you need. www.city-data.com/forum/cats/934480-leaving-cat-alone-2.html

I learned last summer, when SO had a medical emergency when we were away, how valuable and grateful I was that Jasper was at boarding. I would have been a wreck if I had to worry about Jasper home alone. I just called the clinic and told them I would pick him up a few days later. No problem.

You can't plan on emergencies. But this was a lifesaver. Boarding is cheap price for peace of mind .

I would leave my cats alone with dry food out in different areas of the house and lots of water bowls out as well than have someone come in my home.
Cats are not like dogs, they do not need constant attention, they need food, water, and litter.

I am not a fan of boarding. It puts the kitty in an unfamiliar environment, whereas they can be in their own home and surroundings if you leave them home. Ours did just great for this 5 days and their only complaint was that no one was there to give them treats every day.

When I was growing up we left our cat alone for the weekend and while we went on vacation, for a week I'm guessing. Our neighbor cared for him during the longer periods and when we returned he was so put out he wouldn't interact with my mother who he usually adored, he would sit on her lap and put his paw through the newspaper to get her attention. He also took her nightgown and pooped on it a few times, I guess he told her! I'm unsure if it was just an expression of displeasure of having been without his human (my mom) or lack of company but it's something to consider when leaving kitties alone for extended periods.

I'd be concerned about problems that might occur without any human contact for an extended time, who knows what a bored and possibly frightened kitty might do. They might feel abandoned.

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